MONTREAL — John Hynes is a realistic guy. The Minnesota Wild coach knows that all the call-ups from Iowa he can employ aren’t going to take the place of missing second line, or the presence of two of his more veteran defensemen.

Heading into Tuesday night’s game against the Canadiens at Centre Bell Arena, the Wild were without five key veterans: Marcus Johansson, Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek, Zach Bogosian and Jonas Brodin. The best hope, Hynes said, is that there be good news waiting when the team returns to St. Paul for a Thursday night meeting with Detroit.

In the meantime, Hynes made it clear that no amount of reserves could replace everyone missing amid a rash of injuries among key contributors but added that healthy players still needed to fill their roles, and in a lopsided win in Toronto on Monday, a national TV audience in Canada saw what secondary scoring looks like.

Marcus Foligno scored three for his first career hat trick, and Vladimir Tarasenko added two goals to make the difference in a 6-3 victory in the first game of back-to-backs in Ontario.

“When we had the guys out, we talked to the team that you’re not gonna replace individual guys, but there’s gonna be parts of their game and situations that … other guys are gonna get opportunities to (fill),” Hynes said after Monday’s win. “And I think that, Foligno and and Vladdy tonight, are two good examples.”

The Wild have won the first two of this three-game road trip and went into Tuesday’s game second in the West and 65 points, second to only Central Division rival Colorado in the NHL.

For Foligno, playing in front of his father and other relatives a few hours from his hometown of Sudbury, the timing could not have been better for the first three-goal night after more than 900 games in the NHL. The last hat trick, he said, came when he was playing major junior for the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL.

“I’ve gotten two goals many games and I’ve been snakebit,” Foligno said. “It was in the back of my mind. I was getting negative: ‘It’s never going to happen.’ But empty net, Vladdy Tarasenko with a great, unselfish (assist) — and he’s got two, as well. So, I was just like, ‘He’s got a couple hat tricks, so he can give me this one.’ ”

With the Toronto goalie on the bench, Tarasenko took a long-range shot at the empty net, trying for his first hat trick with the Wild. He missed, and when he got another chance a short time later, he passed to Foligno, who ended it.

“He was in a better spot. I took my chance before, missed the net, and, I mean, he was wide open, so …” Tarasenko said. “I learned after (that) this is his first career hat trick, and very happy for him. He’s awesome person. He invited me over for dinner when I came by myself, my first couple of weeks in Minnesota. So, I get the chance to know him, his wife, his kids, and he’s a very nice person.”

And then it was on to Montreal having already secured a winning road trip, and another chance for new heroes to step up while five players sit home in Minnesota, getting healthier for what they hope is a post-Olympics stretch run.

“Going on this trip, when you get on the plane and you see (five) seats empty, and you realize that it’s Bolds, Jojo, Eriksson Ek and (Brodin) and Bogosian, you just look at yourself in the mirror and you’ve got to stop up for the team,” Foligno said. “I’m fortunate right now, two games where I’ve stepped up, and we’ve collected wins.

“That’s what happens with this team: Guys go down but we seem always to have guys fill the void and fill the hole, and it’s special. It’s a special group, and I’m just happy I’m able to help as part of the leadership group and collect some wins when we have certain guys out.”

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